Lay-motion for looms.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

A. B. WEISSENBORN'. LAY MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 3,1905.

3 SHBBTSSHEET 1.

PATENTED JAN. 30

A. B. WEISSENBORN.

LAY MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1905- No. 811,012; PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906. A. B.WEISSENBORN. LAY MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 3, 1905 a snzims smm a.

BORN, residing in ilhlltlE smart Flt)" l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed June 3, 1905. Serial No. 263,574.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known'that I, ALBERT B. WnIssEN- Appleton, in the county of Outagamie and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lay- Motions for Looms, of which the following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to lay-motions for looms, and has for its object to provide electrically-controlled fluid-pressure means for moving the lay and retaining it at the dwell at the will of the weaver.

Another object of this invention is to provide for limiting the throw of the lay with an adjustable cushioning means.

inhand-looms for weaving wire fabric of considerable width,such as one hundred inches and wider, the proper operation of the lay requires the presence of a third operative in addition to the two weavers at the ends of the loom, whose duty is to assist the weavers in throwing the lay. The present invention is designed to dispense with the services of the i third operative and render the operation of the lay by the weavers less burdensome and more accurate.

The above objects are accomplished by means of a fluid-pressure cylinder having a piston connected to the lay, preferably mid way between the ends thereof, for throwing the lay with power, the supply of pressure iiuid to the cylinder being controlled by an electrical system whose contacts or circuitclosers are located upon'.the lay-cap in position to be naturally closed by the usual manipu- I lation of the lay by the weavers. In addition to the above a means is provided for also ap- I plying power to the lay during its forward movement, which comprises an adjustable spring by which the force of the blow'str'uck upon the weft-wire by the reed of the lay may be controlled. Also in connection with the above is preferably provided a cushioning meansfor limiting the throw of the lay, such as a dash-pot adapted to adj ustably determine the limit of movementof the throw of the lay and adapted to have its cushioning effect increased or diminished at will.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the devices and parts and combinations thereof as herein set forth and their equivalents.

Referring to the at, 110m panying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate for the bolt.

' the same parts in the several views, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a loomprovided with the lay-motion devices of this'in'vention, the electrical valve-controlling circuits being shown in diagram. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the pressure-cylinder with its valves and connections, parts being broken away to illustrate the valve construction. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof with the lay connections, the cylinder being broken away to disclose the passage between it and the valve mechanism. Fig. 4- is an end. elevation of these parts. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one end of the lay-cap, illustrating the position and arrangement of the push-buttons. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the lay-cap, partly sectioned to show the construction of the push-buttons; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the lay limiting and cushioning means.

in the drawings, 1-0 represents an ordinary hand-loom, such as is now generally used for wire-weaving, and 11 is. the lay thereof, having the usual lay-cap 12. The lay asusually constructed is provided with a downwardlyextending flange 13 along its bottom, and to the rear face of this flange I connect a cleat 14: having a vertical opening therethrough, into which is pivotally fitted the upper end of a bolt 15, with a pin 16 riding in a radial slot of the cleat to form a swivel connection The lower end of the bolt is provided with a sleeve 17 to receive'the end of a stud 18, which serves as a connecting means between the lay and the piston-rod 19 ot' the prcssure'cylinder 20 and the connecting-rod 21 of the spring-actuated driving mechanism, to be later described. The stud 18 has a head on one end to form a thrustbearing for the sleeve end of connecting-rod 21, which is pivotally mounted on said stud and is confined in position by a cotter-pin 22, passing through the stud. Beyond the cotter pin 22 the stud is first squared to form a wrench-hold 23. Then it is threaded and then reduced, so that one member of the forked end of the piston-rod 19 may be threaded on said threaded portion against the wrenchhold 23, and the other member of the forked end may fit upon the reduced portion and be locked thereto by a cotter-pin 24, thesleeve 17 of the swiveled bolt being pivotally mount- 7 ed on the stud between said forked members.

' The fluid-pressure cylinderr20 is closed at the front end in the usual manner; but the rear end is open to the atmosphere, there being an elbow-or deflecting hood connected thereto to prevent the piston of the cylinder throwing lubricating-oil upon the warp-beam behind. The cylinder'is provided on one side with a projecting headed boss forming a horizontal trunnion 26, which is pivotally mounted in a bearing 27 having a downwardly-extend' J ing stem 28, which in turn is pivotally mounted in a vertical clamp-bearing 29 on the upper "end of a standard 30, rigidly supported on the door in any desirable manner. I

The pi'v'otal connection of the piston-rod 19 with the stud 18 and the pivotal connection between the trunnion 26 of the cylinder and its support permits the arc of swing of the lay 11 without binding the pistonr od with the cylinder,'and the swivei connection be- The inlet and withtt fluid-pressure chamber 35, having a flexible tubing 36 connected thereto and carrying compressed-air '01 other pressure fluid from some suitable source of supply {not shown) and the latter communicating'with the atmosphere through a discharge-outlet 37. outlet valves 33 and 34, respectively, are similar 1n construction, being -in the form oi conical valve members mounted upon valve-stems 38 and 39, which siide' in the walls of the casing of the valve. mechan- -ing coil-springs 41, to press the .43 midway between and cause it to swing the lever 42;

ism and into hollow screw-plugs 40,containvalve-stems rearwardly and hold the valve members on correspondingly shaped valve seats iii-the walls of the passage-way3L V The inlet-valve 33 is so arrangedthat the pressure of the air in the pressure-chamber 35 tends to hold it closed, and the outlet=valve34 is so arranged that the pressure oithe air within the -cylinder tends to holdit closed. i

A lever 42 is pivotally mounted upon a stud the'valve-stems 38 and 39 and is connected, by means of a link 44, with an armature-lever 45, which is pivoted to an overhanging member oi-amagnet-frame 46, whose magnet-coils 47 are adapted to attract the armatufedever A red 48 is threaded through the lower end oi the mag net-frame 46, being locked in adjnstahieposi- 1 tionby am-nut 49, and passes through a slot 50 in the lower end of the armature lever 45., with a cross-pin 51 therethroeghto engage the armature-lever and limit its sieve-meat away from the magnet. rice surroandingsaidl 43 nut 53-, threaded thereon, t

the'lay to swing isvprefera'blyoffcomparatively high resistthe exposed rear ends oi I g m net 47 to charge tery circuit and openthe circuit ofmagnet 47, and discharge tire-starved contour curved metallic shell or plate 59,.wh1ch has eiipie lever against the stop-pin 51 when said arma ture-lever is not attracted'by' the magnet. Whenthe magnet is not energized, the force of the spring 52 is suflicient to hold the armatare-lever 45' against the stop-pin 51, so that the lever 42 presses againstthe valve stem 39 and holds the outlet-valve 34 open against the pressure of its spring 41, the valve-stem 38 being out of engagement with the lever 42 and held closed by its spring 41 and the pressure of air in the pressure-chamber 35. 7 Whenthe ma net 47. is energized, it attracts the armature-lever'45 and swings it against the pressure of spring 52 to cause the lever 42 to also swing and engage the valve-stem 38 and the action of its spring 41, the outlet-valve being permitted to'close by the assistance of its spring 41, since its stem 39 is released by the lever 42. From the foregoing it 'will be understood that when the magnet is energized. the inlet-valve is held open to admit air-pressure to the cylinder 20, while theoutlet-valve "force the inlet-valve 33 oif of its seat against is closed, so that the airrpressure may-operate upon the piston and cause it to swing thelay rearwardly, and when the magnet is deenergiz'e'd the inlet-valve is closed and the outletvalve isopened to allow-of the exhaust of the "air within the cylinder, and thereby permit forwardly. The magnet 47 ance, so that it may be connected to an electrio-lighting circu ten volts with a relay-switch for making and breaking its circiiit, the magnet of said relay being included in a battery-circuit which may be closed by one or more push-buttons in con venient access to-the weavers.

wires 54 with a relay-switdh 55, the magnet 56 of said relay-switch being included in the battery-circuit represented by wires 57, which pieferably extend to theceilin'g and then to the lay, where they'connectwith a pluralityof push-buttons arrangedjn multiple arc. The closing of any push-button will complete the battery-circuit to energize the relay-magnet 56and cause it to close the relay-switch 55 and complete, thecircuit through the magthecylindery-fwhile the 're-' lease of suchpush b'uttonwill open the bat cause lithe relay switch to the cylinder. The push-buttons. are preferably arranged with four'or five in line on each-end of theflay -cap 12, atlthe upper front rounded corner thereof, .vehere the weavers usuallyplacetheir hands in swing ing the lay back and forth. An arrange' ment which l-have found effective in practice is to'cnt away this-upper front rounded corner of tha'iay-cap, as at 58,- and-restore thereof by means of a it of aboutone hundred and As here shown 1 in diagram in Fig. 1, the lighting-circuit, 'includingthe magnet 47 is represented by the riveted 'to it a series of springstrips 60, carrying the buttons or knobs 61 on their free ends and pressing them outwardly through openings in the metal shell 59. A strip of insulating material 62 is connected to the under side of the metal shell 59 and has mounted on it a series of parallel oblique springstrips 63, with their free ends extending just beneath the free ends of thespring-strips 60, so that when the buttons 61 are pressed inwardly the strips 60 contact with the strips 63 and complete the battery-circuit, since one of the Wires 57 is connected to the metal shell and the other is connected to each of the spring-strips 63. The push-lmttons are provided in numbers at each end of the lay-cap to be available for the purpose intended when the loom is arranged for weaving narrower or wider fabric, since the position of the weavers hand on the lay-cap is nearer to or farther I from the middle thereof as the fabric being woven is narrower or wider. This change of position of the weavers hand on the lay-cap is required by reasonof the fact that while he holds the lay-cap with one hand he receives and returns the shuttle with the other hand,

and if the hand'on the lay-cap should remain in the same position for weaving narrower fabric as for weaving widcr fabric it would be necessary for the wearer to cross his arms to receive and return the shuttle, which would be very inconvenient, if not impossible. The connecting-rod 21, b fore referred-to, is pivoted at its rear end to'the upper end of a rock-lever 64, which is pivoted on an outstanding arm of the standard 30 and has a coil-spring 66 connected to its lower end. The coil-spring 66 is adjustably mounted at its rear end, preferably by means of a crankscrew 67, which is threaded through a bracket 68 on the floor with a jam-nut 69 thereon to hold it in its adjustments. The tendency of the spring 66 is to causethe rock-lever 64 to swing the lay forwardly by means of thcconnecting-rod 21, and this tendency may be increased or diminished by altering the adjustment of the screw-crank 67, so thatthe weftwire may be struck with the proper force by the reed of the lay. A coil-spring 70 connects the rear end of thecylinder 20 with the arm 65to' counterbalance the weight of the valve mechanism and other parts on the front end thereof.

A dash-pot for cushioning the rearward stroke or throw of the lay is provided and comprises a cylinder 71, mounted on the standard 30,. with a piston therein having its stem 72 projecting through both heads of the cylinder, the lower end extending to a position where it is adapted to be engaged and forced upwardly by means of an arm 73 on the rock-, lever'64: and the upper end being adapted to engage'with an adjustable set-screw 74, threaded ina boss on the standard above the cylinder. The lower head of the cylinder is open I to the atmosphere; but the upper head thereof is closed, with a T-conpling 75 connecting a petcock 76 and a check-valve 77 with the cyli inder, so that the upward movement of the I piston may be cushioned and retarded by the slow exit of air through the petcock and may i be allowed to freely drop of its own weight by drawing in air through the check-valve. The action of the limiting and retarding device is to cushion the end of the rearward stroke of the lay which is produced by the aci tion of the air in the cylinder-20 when a -push button is pressed and then limit itat acertain I point determined by the engagement of the I piston-rod 72 with the set-screw 74. The foll lowing forward. movement of the lay ei'lected l by the action of the spring 66 18 not mliu- I J enced by the retarding mechanism, since the arm 73 leaves the 'own accord. By adjusting the set-screw 74 the position at which the piston-rod 72 is stopped, and therefore the position at which the lay is stopped in its rearward movement, maybe adjusted to suit the requirements.

I In operation the weavers need only perform the same action which they at present perform with looms not provided with the improvements constituting this invention; but when they press their hands upon the lay-cap to force it rearwardly they close the battery-ci1- cuit by means of the push-buttons and complete the circuit through the magnet 47 to admit compressed air to the cylimler 20. This will force the lay rcm'wardly without their using great muscular effort, as at present, and should it he desired to prolong the dwell of the lay for any reason they have only to keep their hands upon the push-buttons and the air-pressure in the cylinder will continue to hold the lay at the dwell until said pushbuttons are released, when the air in the cylinder is permitted to freely exhaust and the spring 66 produces the forward stroke of the lay. As the point of dwell of the lay is determined by the limiting device and is there- I fore the same with each successive operation and the force with which the lay is thrown forward by means of the spring 66 is also constant with each successive operation, the efiect produced by'the lay upon the work will always be the same, and consequently the fabric will be more uniform in texture than when these influences depend upon the manual operation by the weavers. it is obvious that the weavers are atthc same time'relieved almost en- -tirely of their present exhaustive efforts in swinging the heavy lay back and forth throughout the weaving operation, though having it under more perfect control.

The invention is notconlined to the specific details of construction here illustrated and described for the purpose of its exeznpliiication, but is susceptible to various alterations and substitutions of parts withoutdeparting from its spirit and scope. Among the most obvipiston-rod 72 to drop of its ons alterations of this nature are the omission of the'relay-switch, so as control the circuit of the magnet'? by means of the pushehuttons direct, the connection of the spring-returning means for the lay to the piston direct,

and also the forming of-the cushioning and li mchit-closer located on the lay-cap of the loom.

3. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, and electricalcontrolling means therefor with its circult-closer formed by a series bf push-buttons on the lay-cap of the loom at difierent distances from the middle thereof.

4:. A lay-motion for looms,- comprising a. fluidepressure lay moving and retaining device, and electrical controlling means therefor with its circuit-closer formed of a pushhutton at each end of the lay-cap of the loom.

- 5. A lay-motion .fo'r looms, comprising'a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, and electrical controlling means therefor with its circuit-closer operated by the pressure of the weavers hand'in' the usual manipulation of the lay-cap for producing the hand operation of the lay.

6. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, fluid-pressure-controlling valves therefor, an electrical valve-operating means,'and an electrical controlling circuit for said valveroperating means having its circuit-closer located on the lay in convenient access to the Weaver;

7. A' lay-motion. for looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, an electrical controlling means therefor having its circuit-closer located in convenient access to r the weaver, and a spring lay-moving device opposing the action of the fluid-pressure laymoving device-and adapted to move the. lay in the opposite directionto'the movement of.

the lay produced by said fluid-pressure laymoving device. 1 8. A'lay-motion for looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device adapted to" produce the rearward movement of the lay,

an electrical controlling means therefor having its circuit-closer located in convenient access to the weaver, and a spring lay-moving device adapted to produce the forward movement of the lay. f

9. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, valves controlling the'admission and exhaust of pressure fluid thereof, a lever for actuating said" valves, a magnet adapted to cause themcvelever to move in one ably mounted on the magnet-frame and passing \through the armatureslever,

ment of the lever, andan electrical controllingcir'cmtfor said magnet havmg its circuit- 'closer located in convenient access to the weaver.

' 10. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, pressurefluid supply and exhaust'valves therefor, said valves having exposed valve-stems, a lever vpivotally mounted between said'valve-stems and adapted when swung in one direction to open the supply-valve and permit the exhaustvalve to close and when swung in the other.

.- direction to open the exhaust-valve and permit the supply-valve to close, a magnet for producing the swinging movements of the lever, and an electrical controlling-circuit for said magnet having its circuit closer located 5 in convenient access to the weaver.

11. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a pressure-fluid lay-moving device formed by a suitably-mounted cylinder with a piston hav: ing connection with the lay, said cylinder having a passage-way in connection there- .with, a spring-pressed s lidably-mounted valvestem carrying a pressure fluid-supply valve for the passage-way, a spring-pressed slidably-mounted valve-stem carrying an exhaustvalve, for the passage-way, said valve-stems having exposed ends,a lever pivotally mounted between the'exposed ends of the valvestems and adapted when swung in one direction to engage one valve-stem and open the supply-valve thereby and when swung in another direction to engage the other valve stem and open the exhaust-valve thereby, a magnet fbr producing the swinging movements of the lever, and an electrical control-' ling-circuit for the magnet having its circuitcloser located in convenient access to the weaver.

12. A lay-motion for'looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, a pressurefluid'supply and exhaust valve mechanism therefor having exposed valve-stems, a valvelever pivotally-mounted between the exposed valve-stems and adapted to engage one or the other thereof as it is moved in one dii'ection or the other, a magnet-frame, sme ma v mounted thereon, an armature-lever pivoted to the magnet-frame and having connection with the valve-lever, whereby the attraction of thear'inature-lever will cause the valve direction, a bar adjnsta stop on the bar for limiting themovement of the armatu're-lever away fromthe magnet, and a coilspring surrounding the bar and bearing on the armature-leVer-to force said armaturelever away'from the magnet when themagnet is deenergized and thereby produce a move ment of the valve-lever in the other direction, and anelectrical controlling -.circuit for the. magnet having its circuit-closer in convenient access to the weaver.

13. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a pressure-fluid lay-moving device, consisting of a fluid-pressure cylinder having a pivotal support, a piston operating in the cylinder and having a pivotal connection with the lay, and a controlling system for the supply and exhaust of pressure fluid oi' the cylinder hav-v ing its operating means located access to the weaver.

14:. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a standard, a bearing having a pivotal support on the standard, afluid-pressure cylinder having .a trunnion pivotally mounted in the bearing, a piston operating in the cylinder, a bolt to which the piston is pivotally connected, said bolt having a pivotal connection with the lay, and an electrically-controlled pressure-fiuid valve .niechanism for the cyh inder having its circuit-closer in convenient access to the \veaver.-

15. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a standard, a fluid-pressure cylinder pivotally mounted thereon, a piston operating in the cylinder and having connection with the lay, an electrically-controlled valve mechanism on the cylinder having its circuiteloser located within convenient access to the weaver, and a spring connecting the cylinder with the standard to counterbalance the weight of the valve mechanism.

16. A lay-motion t'or looms, comprising a suitable pivotally-mounted fluid-pressure cylinder, a piston operating therein, a stud to which the piston-rod is connected, a bolt piv-v otally mounted on the stud, and a cleat connected to the lay and having a swivel connection with the bolt.

17. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a suitable pivotally-mounted fluid-pressure cylinder, a piston operating therein, a stud to which the piston-rod is connected, a bolt pivotally mounted on the stud, a cleat connected to the lay and having a swivel connection with the bolt, a connecting-rod pivotally mounted on the stud, and a spring-operated lay-'mov ing mechanism connected to the connectingrod.

18. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a standard, a fluidn'essure cylinder pivotally mounted thereon, a piston operating in the cylinder and having a piston-rod-with a forked end, a stud connected to the :i'orked end of the piston-rod, a bolt pivotally mounted on the stud between the fork members of the end of the piston-rod,:a cleat on the lay having a swivel connection with the bolt, a connectingrod pivoted to the stud, a rock-lever pivotally mounted on the standard and connected to the connectingu'od, and an adjustable spring connected to the rock-levcr.

in convenient terial mounted on the 19. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a standard, a fluid-pressure cylinder pivotally mounted thereon, a piston operating in the cylinder and having a pivotal connection with the lay, a connecting-rod also having a pivotal connection with the lay, a rock-lever pivotally mounted on the standardcand connected to the connecting-rod, and a dash-pot having its stem in the path of movement of the rock-lever.

20. A. lay-motion for looms, comprising a standard, a fluid-pressure cylinder pivotally mounted thereon, a piston operating in the cylinder and having a pivotal connection with the lay, a connecting-rod also having a pivotal connection with the lay, a rock-lever pivotally mounted on the standard and connected to the connecting-rod, a dash-pot having its stem in the path of movement of the rock-lcvcr, and an adjustable stop adapted to be engaged by the stem of the dash-pot to limit the move ment of the lay.

21. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a standard, a fluid'pressure cylinder pivotally mounted thereon, a piston operating in the cylinder and having a pivotal connection with the lay, a con necting-rod also having a pivotal connection with the lay, a rock-lever pivotally mounted on the standard and connected to the connecting-rod, a dash-pot having its stem passing entirely th'erethrough with its lower end in the path of movement of a part of the rock-lever, an adjustable stop adapted to be engaged by the other end of the dash-pot stem to limit the movement of the lay, and a petcock and CllGCli VHlVG connected to thedash-pot. 22. A lay-motion for looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, an electrical controlling means therefor having its circuitcloser formed by a sheet-metal shell secured to the lay-cap of the loom, springstrips connected th'ereto, buttons mounted on the springstrips and projecting through openings in the sheet-metal shell, a strip of sheet-metal shell, and a series of spring-contaets carried thereby.

23. A-lay motion for. looms, comprising a fluid-pressure lay-moving device, an electrical controlling means therefor consisting of a valve-operating magnet, an electrical circuit therefor containing a relay switch, and a l second electrical circuit including the magnet and having its circuitconvenient access to the of the relay-switch closer located wltlnn weaver.

In testimony whereof .I. aliix my signature in insulting ma- IIO 

